As seven alien races struggle to co-exist in an uneasy alliance, the Inter-Stellar Union sends Union Guard agents on missions to preserve the crucial balance. These specialized operatives must do what regional security cannot, dealing with smugglers, pirates, terrorists, and even greater challenges in order to bring stability to a universe that needs it desperately. Without the Union Guard, the races will not be prepared to face a looming alien threat they can only hope to defeat together.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

The Star Wars Effect (part 3)

Hollywood
used to hate Star Wars, considering it to be a franchise machine used
to sell toys as much as tickets. Better movies with more substance,
Hollywood moguls insisted, were not receiving their proper attention
when competing with big-budget blockbusters like Star Wars. These
blockbusters were considered forgettable, without critical acclaim,
while the smaller, lesser-known films were those that were awarded
impressive nominations, though these decorated films rarely seemed to
find a very larger audience. This isn't a problem for us, though,
considering that we usually prefer watching the more thoughtful films
at home, paying only a couple dollars to see them. I feel this way
myself—why spend $25-$30 dollars to see a drama that I could just
wait a few months to rent online? There's no hurry, it's not like
everyone is going to be talking about it. I'm only willing to go
through the inconvenience of watching a movie in the theater if it's
an experience that the theater will enhance—I don't need amazing
theater surround sound, 3D projection, and a giant IMAX screen to
watch a thoughtful drama, but I do want those features for a movie
with lots of action and special effects. This shift in attitude
towards movies is one that may affect the industry in a big way...